It Can Wait
by The Forgotten Nobody
Summary: "How we are doesn't matter right now. What does is that your brother is hurt and you are in pain. Whatever issues we have can wait. I'm not going to turn away from you now Alexander." Spoilers for 2x17


"Magnus, please. I just want to talk."

Alec dropped his forehead against the door, his closed fist resting beside it. He wasn't sure how long he'd spent calling out, banging on the door but it was probably a good job that Magnus didn't have neighbors. Giving up wasn't an option though, not when he knew Magnus was home, not when he knew Magnus was hurting just as much as Alec was.

"Let me explain," Alec tried again, his voice starting to grow weaker from strain. "I know you have every right to be upset but please I-"

The door swung opened and Alec nearly fell as he stumbled through, only managing to right himself at the last second. Inside, Magnus was sitting at a newly acquired desk, writing. He didn't even look at Alec as he said, "As you can see, I'm busy so make it quick."

From where he stood, Alec couldn't tell what Magnus was writing, only that it was in a different language. His throat all of a sudden block, he tried to regain some composure by shifting himself upright, hands clasped behind his back.

"I know you're mad Magnus and I understand why. You have the right to be, as my boyfriend," Alec began. "And had you not been a Warlock, the High Warlock of Brooklyn at that, I _would_ have."

"Oh, so now it's a problem? I don't remember it being so when you and your friends were asking for favors left right and center." Though Magnus continued to write, the strokes of his pen against the paper became sharper and Alec fought back a wince.

"It's-it's not like that Magnus. Just imagine if I _had_ told you, how would you have felt keeping it from the others?"

"I know they say ignorance is bliss but Alec, you forget I am centuries old. Old enough to know how to keep a damn secret!" The pen went flying across the room, making Alec startle as it crashed into one of Magnus' many ornaments. After taking a long, deep breath, Magnus conjured a new one. "My apologies."

Alec nodded. "I just didn't want to ask that of you Magnus. We are on the verge of war here and I'm _trying_ to do the best I can. I want to do what's best for everyone. You know I don't want a fight between Shadowhunters and Downworlders. I don't want unnecessary death."

Magnus finally stopped what he was doing. "Unfortunately this is bigger than a simple fight between the Clave and the Downworlders. If Valentine has the sword and he manages to claim the remaining mortal instruments there will be no Downworlders to begin with. Should we not be given the chance to fight for our survival?"

"If it gets out that the Clave doesn't have the Soul Sword then there would be a focus on the Clave, a focus that should be entirely on Valentine," Alec argued. "The Clave _does_ want to stop him."

"I'm sorry my dear but frankly I don't trust the Clave to think of our wellbeing first," Magnus said with a cool, bitter smile.

"Then please just-" Though Alec cut himself off, Magnus had no trouble filling in the blanks.

"Trust you? I think we've established where I stand on that."

Despite his heart feeling like it was ripping into two, Alec strived to keep collected. He hated this, how complicated everything had become. He knew it was wrong to keep a secret from Magnus but this was bigger than the two of them. He'd thought he was doing what was best.

Now he wasn't sure he hadn't just made it a whole lot worse.

"I promise you I-"

The sound of his phone ringing interrupted Alec and though he wanted to leave it Magnus said, "Go ahead, it could be the _Clave_ ," and everyone was on such high alert, he couldn't afford to ignore it.

Seeing it was Izzy, Alec turned away from Magnus as he answered.

"What's up?" For a moment, all he could hear was his sister's labored breathing. "Izzy? What's wrong?" Out of the corner of his eye, Alec could see Magnus glance over curiously.

"It's-it's Max. You need to come back Alec. Now. I'll…I'll tell you what happened when you get to the infirmary."

The phone threatened to fall from Alec's grip. "I'll be there as soon as I can." He pressed the disconnect button, harder than he meant to, and had to take a moment before he put it away. He started calculating how long it would take him to get to the Institute when he remembered where he was, who he was with.

"Magnus. I need a portal to the Institute, the infirmary. Please." He hadn't meant for the please to come out so broken and concern flashed across Magnus' face.

"What's happened?"

"I-I don't know. But Izzy said it was to do with Max and I-" He couldn't voice it, couldn't think about what would cause Izzy to sound so scared.

"Of course I'll portal you there." He waved a hand behind him and swirling, golden light appeared. Alec expected to go through alone however as he stepped through on shaking legs, there was a hand there to steady him.

"Allow me," Magnus said softly, just as Izzy came rushing towards him, the sound of her heels clacking echoing loudly in the corridor. There were dark tracks of mascara running down from her puffy, red eyes and Alec braced himself for the worst.

"He's still alive," was the first thing she said but while something inside him eased, the rest remained tense. His fears were confirmed when she followed up with, "But he's badly hurt. They don't-they're not sure if he'll wake up."

Alec barely registered Izzy running into him, barely felt his own arms come up to wrap around her. It was only Magnus' hand now gripping his shoulder that grounded him to reality.

"What happened?" Alec asked numbly.

"I came to look for you in your office and-and I found Max there, badly hurt. He was conscious enough to say he knew who Jonathan was but that was it. It must have been him, Jonathan must have been the one to hurt Max when he found him."

"My office?" Alec almost felt like he couldn't breathe. If he hadn't started all this off by lying to Magnus, he wouldn't have raced to Magnus' apartment, he would have been in his office, Max wouldn't have-

Now wasn't the time for that. Alec placed his guilt aside for later and asked, "Can I see him?" I

Izzy's hair brushed against his chest as she nodded. "Jace is there with him now. Mon and Dad are on their way."

The next few hours were a blur to Alec, so much so that he only recalled fleeting moments afterwards. He remembered seeing Max in the bed, his skin almost the same color as the sheets covering him. He remembered the doctors trying different runes in order to get Max to wake up. He remembered his parents arriving, just as they lost Max briefly, managing to bring him back but for how long, they couldn't say. There were background discussions about what this meant, about how Jonathan had to be impersonating someone in the Institute but Alec wasn't never a part of them. All he could do was be by his little brother's side, willing him to wake up. Through it all, Magnus was a silent presence, there but not intruding. Eventually, the doctors deemed Max stable enough that they decided they would alternate who would watch over him.

"I'll go first," said Izzy immediately. "I just…I can't leave. Not yet. And I know you've not slept Alec. You too Jace."

Between work, speaking with Magnus and now this, Alec knew he was on his last reserves and though it pained him to be leaving Max, he had to agree with Izzy. He needed sleep. First so he could be diligent when watching over Max, next so that he would be focused when planning how to deal with this, so that he could get revenge on the monster that had hurt his family.

"We'll come get you if anything changes," his mom promised, her face seeming to have aged decades. Beside her, his dad nodded. Alec chose to ignore how their hands were clasped.

"Come Alexander," murmured Magnus by his side and after Alec had said his goodbyes, the Warlock gently guided him back to his room. Alec fully anticipated Magnus to leave him then but he didn't, instead he shed his jacket before getting out Alec's pajamas for him.

"You don't have to do this," Alec said, his voice gruff from the tears he'd been unable to hold back.

"But I want to," Magnus said softly as he drew Alec into the hug he hadn't known he'd craved. "How we are doesn't matter right now. What does is that your brother is hurt and you are in pain. Whatever issues we have can wait. I'm not going to turn away from you now Alexander."

Alec didn't know what he'd done to deserve Magnus and already, the tears were retuning, burning his eyes and the back of his throat. "Thank you," he rasped, his eyes squeezed tight. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry-"

"Shhh," Magnus' fingers started to lightly stroke the top of Alec's neck. "Like I said, it can wait. What will happen now is you will go to bed. You will sleep and then you will go back to Max. And I will be here, I promise you that."

All Alec could do was repeat, "Thank you."

Despite Alec not being sure he'd be able to get to sleep, he found it claimed him almost instantly as he slid beneath the covers. Though Magnus hadn't changed into his own sleep wear and lay on top of the covers, he guided Alec's head onto his shoulder and must have cast some magic because soon enough his eyelids drooped and his breathe deepened.

"I love you," Alec murmured, just as he was on the cusp of sleep. It was a risky statement but rewarded when Magnus replied, "And I you."

With everything that had happened, at least he had that.

* * *

 _Help me I'm in pain (:_

 _(Also, I've not read the books and stuff so this is just my interpretation of what could happen. Considering the promo it's very unlikely but hey, at least in my version Magnus isn't walking away (: Did I mention I was in pain?)_


End file.
